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LTC Hosts Panel on Black Lives Matter and Community/Police Relations.

Taping with a small studio audience on August 4, 8:00pm in the LTC studio.

Air times on Channel 8: August 10 at 8:00pm and August 11 at 10:00pm.

The activist movement Black Lives Matter began in 2013 in response to the killing of several unarmed African Americans by police in the United States. Movement participants organize protests and marches to draw attention to disparities in the treatment of suspects based on race. The movement is also concerned with racial disparities in the criminal justice system and mass incarceration.

To understand how the issues put forward by the Black Lives Matter movement relate to Lowell, LTC is hosting a panel of police and community members to discuss the relationship between police and the African American Community. The discussion will include these questions: How is the Black Lives Matter movement perceived in Lowell? How do African American teens relate to police? How dangerous do police on the street perceive their jobs to be and how do they monitor their interactions across racial lines? How does the current criminal justice system affect the quality of life in Lowell?

The goal of this televised discussion is to encourage honest communication between Lowell residents and the Police. Panelists include Police Chief William Taylor, Police Captain Paul Laferriere, and African American community activists Masada Jones, Fru Nkimbeng, Maritza Grooms, and Pastor Dwayne Wheeler. LTC Executive Director Wendy Blom will serve as moderator. The program will be videotaped for later broadcast.

A small studio audience to invited to attend. Call 978-458-5400 to reserve a seat. Space is limited. The program will be broadcast on Channel 8 on August 10 at 8:00pm and August 11 at 10:00pm.